Simulated bowling game device



June llQ, 19.52

fL. 2A. DEURNNT SIMULATED BOWLIENG Gd-YME DEVICE :Filed Dec.. aiQi, 'w49 Patented June 10, 41952 SIMULATED BOWLING GAME DEVICE Lyndon A. Durant, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Royal Patent Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a, corporation of Illinois Application December 10, 1949, Serial No. 132,296

1 claim. (C1. 273-126) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a simulated bowling game device in which there is a playing field portion simulating the pin supporting deck of a bowling alley.

The invention has for its principal object the provision of a game apparatus in which there is associated with the simulated bowling pins appearing on the playing field, switch elements adapted to be closed upon engagement with a suitable moving puck.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a game apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of that portion of the playing field of the apparatus which simulates the bowling pin deck of a, bowling alley;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the under side of a portion of the playing field.

The several objects of my invention may be accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings and in which a cabinet is indicated at I0. At the end of the cabinet opposite the players end thereof, I provide the usual and conventional upright box |I having a transparent wall I2 providing a scoring panel by which score numbers are illuminated in a manner well known in the art. This score panel constitutes no part of the present invention and therefore is not shown or described in detail.

The cabinet I supports therein a game board I3 terminating at one end portion into a playing eld I 4 comprising a sheet of rectangular formation and of opaque material.

Printed or otherwise screened upon the eld I4 in regulation standard formation are simulated bowling pins I5 designated by pin indicating numerals l to inclusive. In the present instance, each of the pin indicator numerals I6 is arranged within the pin body upon a disc I 'I of circular formation and inserted in an opening Il formed in the board I3 with the top surface of the disc I'I iiush with the surface of the board I3. These discs are translucent and are adapted to be illuminated.

Supported in any suitable manner by the playing i-leld I4 beneath each of the discs I1 is a light bulb I8 connected by circuit wires I9 with a standard and conventional holding circuit diagrammatically indicated at I9' and including puck roll-over switches 2| of the spring leaf type and mounted beneath the playing field I4.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 each switch 2| includes an operating lever 22 pivotally connected as at 23 to the switch block 24 and having a pin 25 resting upon the uppermost spring leaf 26 of the switch 2|.

This lever 22 has a tapered edge portion 21 which projects upwardly through a slot 28 formed in the playing field I4, the edge portion 21 tapering downwardly toward the path of the oncoming puck which is adapted to be manually or other-` wise propelled for sliding movement over the playing field I3 and I4.

The switches with their tapered puck engaging portions are located alongside the simulated bowling pins I5 in a manner such that a puck moving over the playing field I4 may engage a plurality of the switch operating levers 22 such as are located in the plane of movement of the puck.

Upon the playing field I4 there are printed or otherwise screened thereon two channels 28' and 29, at the entrance of which are arrows 30. These channels are designated on the board as strike zones. A puck traveling through either of the channels 28 and 29 will close all the switches in that channel and in so doing the light bulbs will be deenergized and according to the rules of the game, a strike will be registered.

This invention is not concerned with the manner of registering the score of the game nor the holding circuit, and for that reason neither are shown in detail. The principal feature of this invention is the provision of the iield simulating the deck of a bowling alley and the transparent discs arranged within the field of the simulated bowling pins with the control switch arranged with respect to the simulated pins and within strike zones in a manner whereby more than one switch will be engaged by the puck during the playing of the game.

Much amusement is afforded the player of the game by reason of the close simulation between the game and the conventional bowling game.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eil'ect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construc- 3 tion set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A simulated bowling ball game comprising a playing eld over which pucks are adapted to be manually moved, said eld being substantially opaque and having at one end thereof a section having thereon symbols simulating bowling pins arranged in standard formation with respect to each other and each having a translucentV number bearing area, said section having a designated strike zone, and means for illuminating the said number bearing area, and means for extinguishing said illuminating means in said number bearing areas when said puck moves through said designated strike zone. y

LYNDON A. DURANT.

4 REFERENCES orrED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,111,592 Keenan Sept. 22, 1914 1,788,336 Schneider Jan. 6, 1931 1,951,973' Fuld Mar. 20, 1934 2,127,261 Kramer Aug. 16, 1938 2,152,598 Mills Mar. 28, 1939 2,229,295 Kooi Jan. 21, 1941 2,263,727 Gensburg Nov. 25, 1941 2,277,274 Stoner Mar. 24, 1942 2,303,573 Munro Dec. 1, 1942 2,346,428 Henley Apr. 11, 1944 

